NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday sought to play up its pet theme of "multiple" centres of power in the UPA government by claiming that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's repeated "clarifications" that his clout was not being eclipsed was proof that the PMO was suffering from an authority deficit.

At the daily press briefing, the BJP spokesperson said that at every interaction with the media, Manmohan Singh found it necessary to stress that he was indeed the PM. Invariably this raised the question about the influences that were working on the UPA government.

The multiple centres of powers led to a lack of discipline in government with senior ministers differing on important issues. "One minister says the ISI is not to blame for North-East violence. But another minister then says that the hand of the ISI cannot be ruled out in the bomb blasts.